Harry W. Parker (Saint Paul, MN)
Harry W. Parker (January 28, 1868 – December 26,1954)
Biography
- Name: Harry W. Parker
- Birth: January 28, 1868 Canada
- Death: December 26, 1954 Los Angeles, CA (Buried Hollywood, CA)
Early life and family
Harry W. Parker was born in Seaforth, Ontario, Canada on January 28, 1868. He was the son of Royal Army Capt. Joseph Frederick and Samantha Jane Parker and the younger brother of Sir Gilbert Parker, Canada's Kipling, the popular Canadian novelist, short-story writer and poet who rose from backwoods obscurity to Member of the British Parliament. Although born in Dublin, Captain Parker, of the British Army, was of English extraction. He married Samantha Jane Simmons, of Dutch ethnicity who was born about 1836 in Ontario. They had ten children.
In 1904, he married Edna M. Coon of Northfield, Minnesota. Edna M. Coon was a 1902 graduate of Carleton college academy of Northfield, Minnesota. As a student graduating with honors, Edna read her essay "A Scene from Real Life" as part of the commencement exercises on June 9, 1902, competing for the prize known as the fund of the class of '85. The $200 prize was split and awarded for the best declamation and best essay and the contestants were the top four graduates raking highest as speakers and writers. Miss Coon and two others were competing both as speakers and writers.
In 1905, the Parkers had a daughter, Kathleen, born in St. Paul.
Banking career
Harry W. Parker began his banking career in Montreal, Quebec with the Molsons Bank, which operated under a provincial charter starting in 1855. By 1900 he is an assistant cashier in The Merchants National Bank of St. Paul, Minnesota and in 1905 he is elected Cashier. He resigned as cashier of The Merchants NB on Dec. 18, 1915 to consider an offer to act as Northwestern representative of the National City Bank of New York, one of the largest banks in the world. Instead he opened a new banking house in Minneapolis, Bankers Trust and Savings Bank.
There is the matter of a second Harry W. Parker, former vice president of the Winnebago State Bank of commerce, sentenced to an indeterminate term in the state prison for grand larceny. Although he has the same name, this person is not to be confused with the subject of this biography. He was indicted Dec. 9, 1912 for stealing $2,000 from the bank and immediately pleaded guilty. The sentence called for serving from one to ten years at hard labor a sentence carried out while the subject of this biography was serving as cashier of The Merchants National Bank. By Dec. 21, 1912 it was reported that Harry W. Parker, the Winnebago banker, was doing clerical work in the prison commissary department and was stationed in a store room in the basement of the executive building where few convicts passed.
Bankers Trust & Savings Bank of Minneapolis opened for business in its banking rooms on the ground floor of the Lumber Exchange Building on Dec. 4, 1916. The bank officers were Harry W. Parker, president, William Mitchell Lewis, Vice President, Frederick E. Bryan, Secretary-Treasurer, and Harry S. Quiggle, Cashier. On January 30, 1917, Woodlief Thomas, formerly counsel for John F. Sinclair & Co., investment bankers, was named trust officer and assistant counsel of the Bankers Trust and Savings Bank. In 1918, this bank organized as Bankers National Bank of Minneapolis, Charter 11167 (1918 - 1926); it did not issue notes.
Through his connection with the National Credit Men's Association, he delivered an address on insurance and banking to the Northwestern Underwriters Association; the content is recorded in detail in the Star Tribune article of May 29, 1916.
In 1917, he traveled to New York City to see a private showing of the picture adaptation of "The Judgment House," written by his brother Sir Gilbert and filmed by Commodore Blackton. It premiered at the New Garrick on Nov. 18, 1917.
Parker in 1918 became an officer of the Bank of Italy, one of the fastest growing banks in the country, let alone California. He was widely known throughout the country because of his connection with the National Credit Men's association; he was very active in the association while a banker in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In June, 1924, the Commercial National Bank of Los Angeles opened its eighth banking agency within a few weeks at the corner of Seventh Street and Westlake Avenue. A new building at this corner was rapidly completed to house the office of the bank and several adjoining stores. Harry W. Parker, a thoroughly experienced banker was made the manager. The Commercial National Bank's eight branch offices were chartered by the Comptroller of the Currency. The bank would merge with the Bank of America in August 1924 under the direction of the America-Commercial Securities Corporation as the holding company. This arrangement used as a basis that of the First National-Pacific-Southwest Alliance, containing both a National and State bank, thus affording the advantages of expansion under both types of charter.
In April 1926 Harry W. Parker was made an assistant vice president of the Bank of America in charge of a newly established business extension department. He moved into the head office of the Bank of America on Broadway at 8th.
The McFadden banking act of 1927, along with extending the twelve Federal Reserve District Banks in perpetuity, liberalized branch banking rules so national banks could operate out of more than one location, if allowed by state law, and better compete with state banks. In 1927, the Bank of Italy National Trust and Savings Association promoted Harry W. Parker, an assistant Vice president of the bank, to manage its banking interests in Culver City.
Other highlights
In May of 1929, Sir Gilbert Parker, British author and guest at the Hollywood Plaza hotel, was in negotiations with Cecil B. De Mille, Metro-Goldwyn-Myer, over propositions to film some of this books. Sir Gilbert's visits to California in the '20s and '30s allowed him to visit with his brothers Harry and Arthur. Arthur came to Oakland, California in 1915, enlisted in the US Army in 1918 and served in France and joined the first post of the American Legion in Paris. Arthur was a hotel manager of the Oakland Hotel. In World War II he was a property manager at the Oakland Army base.
Later life and death
Mr. Parker died on Boxing Day, Sunday, December 26, 1954. Entombment was in the Court of the Apostles, Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery. He was a native of Canada and had lived in California for 33 years and approximately 21 years in Minnesota. He resided at 2208 W 8th St. and was survived by his wife Edna, daughter Kathleen, and a grandson.
Kathleen Parker would become a Superior Court Judge for the City of Los Angeles. After high school she became a secretary at the Bank of Italy (now Bank of America) and later a legal secretary, making money to support her young son. She attended Southwest University and Pacific Coast University earning her degree in law. During World War II she worked as a naturalization examiner for the U.S. Dept. of Justice. Judge Parker was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1957. She and her mother Edna share a memorial at Hollywood Forever, also known as Beth Olam Cemetery, Hollywood Memorial Cemetery.
Bank Officer Summary
During his banking career, H. W. Parker was involved with the following bank(s):
- Merchants National Bank, Saint Paul, MN (Charter 2020): Cashier 1905-1915; Asst Cashier 1900...1904
- Bankers Trust & Savings Bank of Minneapolis: President 1916...1917
- Bank of Italy: 1918...1926
- The Commercial National Bank of Los Angeles (Charter 6864): Manager 1924...1926
- Bank of America: Asst Vice President 1926
- Bank of Italy National Trust and Savings Association of San Francisco (Charter 13044), Asst Vice President 1927
Sources
- Harry W. Parker on Findagrave.com
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
- The Minneapolis Journal, Minneapolis, MN, Sat., Mar. 29, 1902.
- Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, Mon., June 9, 1902.
- The Brainerd Daily Dispatch, Brainerd, MN, Thu., Dec. 12, 1912.
- Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, Sat., Dec. 21, 1912.
- Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, Mon. May 29, 1916.
- Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, Sat., Dec. 2, 1916.
- Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, Sun, Dec. 3, 1916.
- Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, Sun, Nov. 18, 1917.
- Los Angeles Evening Express, Los Angeles, CA, Sat., June 14, 1924.
- Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, Los Angels, CA, Sat., Aug. 13, 1927
- The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, Sat., Aug. 16, 1924.
- Illustrated Daily News, Los Angeles, CA, Tue., Apr. 6, 1926.
- The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, Sat., Aug. 13, 1927.
- The Pasadena Post, Pasadena, CA, Sat., May 11, 1929.
- The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, 30 Dec 1954
- The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, Wed., May 9, 1962.